Insider Sport’s Matchday Programme offers a personal look at what sporting moments and figures have inspired industry stakeholders. Through candid reflections, the programme delves into the stories behind the inspirations that have shaped their perspectives and fuelled their passion for sports.
In this edition, Dean Akinjobi, Owner and CEO of Football Media, shares his admiration for Kobe Bryant, highlighting his exceptional winning mentality. He emphasises how Bryant’s unwavering drive and high standards inspired his teammates and set new benchmarks for excellence in sports.
Which athlete do you think demonstrated the best winning mentality throughout their career?
Kobe Bryant is the athlete that I think demonstrated the best winning mentality throughout his career. His appetite and desire to be the best and always win inspired his fellow teammates and helped drive them to the next level to achieve success.
The fact that Kobe had his brand of winning mentality, ‘Mamba Mentality’, which was focused around five pillars – fearlessness, relentlessness, passion, obsessiveness, and resilience – that he consistently followed and delivered upon, makes him, for me the athlete that demonstrated the best winning mentality throughout his career.
Who was your childhood sports hero and why? Which of their sporting achievements had the biggest impact on you?
I had many sports heroes, but there was something about Roy Keane, because of his winning mentality and high standards that delivered success. If he was playing against Barcelona or Barnet FC, his mentality and approach to the performance was no different, he would never let his winning mentality or high standards slip.
The sporting achievement that had the biggest impact on me was a Champions League semi-final second-leg match, away against Juventus. Manchester United had gone 2-0 down and Roy Keane put in a performance that is often described as one of the best individual performances in a football match ever, scoring a goal and helping Manchester United win 3-2 and go onto the Champions League final.
The impact that it had on me was an amplification of the fact that nothing is impossible if you keep working hard, and have belief, as well as the right mentality.
What sports team do you follow the closest? Is this a family team or local side etc, and what has been the biggest moment in your history of supporting this club?
I am a Manchester United fan, and all of my family supports them too. The biggest moment in the history of supporting the club was the 1999 Champions League final which they won against Bayern Munich in the last minute. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s winning goal created such a euphoric moment, that even watching that goal now brings back a special feeling!
Is there a team manager from any sport, whether that be football, rugby, NFL, NBA, etc, who you think demonstrated the best leadership qualities?
For me, it has to be Sir Alex Ferguson, during his career he helped to lead Manchester United to unprecedented success and demonstrated the best leadership qualities throughout.
Sir Alex knew how to consistently get the best out of individuals, delivering high performances over a sustained period. He made tough decisions, such as rebuilding a team with youth players who became the famous Class of ’92. He also led and developed some of football’s best players, including Ronaldo, Rooney, and David Beckham.
Sir Alex Ferguson’s leadership qualities optimised high standards and discipline and he believed that once you bid farewell to high standards and discipline, you say goodbye to success.
When looking at industry leaders, Apple had Steve Jobs, and Man United had Sir Alex Ferguson.
What sports tournament do you think consistently provides the biggest thrills? Which moment from this league stood out to you the most in recent memory?
Without a doubt, the World Cup consistently provides the biggest thrills. ‘
One of the moments that stood out for me was from the France v Argentina, 2022 World Cup final, the performance and platform that it provided for two of the best players in the world, (Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi), was just phenomenal.
For Mbappe to score three goals in a World Cup final and to end up on a losing side, just added to the incredible thrills and drama in a game of such significance.
If you could travel back in time to any historic sporting moment to watch it then and now, which would it be and why?
I think I would travel back to the 1966 World Cup final when England last won the tournament.
It would be a great experience to watch the match and experience the atmosphere, and the reaction in the country after winning the World Cup. Knowing how passionate we are about football in England, I am sure that the atmosphere would have been incredible and lasted for a very long time.
